NOTE: This is a fall back story for when I get writers block and updates wont be regular but they will come as they come.
Zombie Run
Chapter 1
Pearl
Pearl frowned as she turned own the next ail in the gas station mart. She knows its only been a week since the zombie apocalypse happened and now Pearl was worried they waited too long to search for supplies. Zombie apocalypse. Pearl never thought she would catch herself thinking about it or actually surviving through it. This kinda thing only happened in movies, not in real life! But here she was, with her girlfriend, sneaking around in broad daylight like wannabe ninjas, looking for food and supplies.
Pearl came to a halt towards the end of the ail, stepping over a blood smear on the floor, before reaching out and picking up one of the few cans left on the self. "Canned peach's for dinner again! Honestly, who even likes these? Oh and look! There's even a box of Band-Aids left."
"Peaches and band aides." Jasper said rolling her eyes "That will help us fight of starvation and fix a bite. Were saved!"
Pearl let out a snort and Jasper smiled. If Pearl was being honest with herself if it wasn't for Jasper she would be dead. The world went to shit just last week and if Jasper hadn't run into the gym where Pearl was in the middle of her dance rehearsal she would of died with the swarm that burst through the side door. She barely had time to grab her bag on the way out. They hid in Jasper's truck in her garage for two days before almost dying by the three zombies that made it in. And now here they were, Pearl in her black leotard and stockings in ballet flats with a grey transparent skirt on her form and Jasper on her track uniform of booty shorts and tight sports bra. They looked anything but prepared, arm with nothing but Pearl's fencing sword and Jaspers metal baseball bat. Fortunately for Pearl, she had her real fencing sword on her that day. She was supposed to practice for a festival using the real sword while it was on fire. Now it served a different purpose.
Pearl turned around and handed Jasper the cans and Band-Aids to put in her backpack. As Jasper zipped up the bag Pearl caught movement a few ails down. She grabbed Jasper by the arm and dragged her down to the floor. She put her finger to her lips and made a 2 with her right hand before pointing to the back of the store. Jasper nodded and crept with Pearl to the end of the ail.
Please don't be a runner. Please don't be a runner, Pearl thought as she peered around the corner slowly. There were three types of zombies Pearl had be able to conclude. Runners, limpers, and crawlers. Crawlers were the zombies who pulled themselves along the ground unable to stand anymore. Limpers were the zombies who were unable to run but could still walk around. Then there were the runners. They were the worst zombies to come across. They were the ones freshly turned and could run full force at you. Your body stops you from running or moving to fast as to not hurt yourself, with that function in your brain gone the runners were free to move like super humans. They only lasted like that for about a week before turning to limpers. If they hadn't had anyone to chase they could last up to two weeks.
As Pearl peered around the corner a figure darted out and loomed over her. Pearl fell back on her butt in surprise as Jasper lunged ahead of her. The figure and Jasper's weapons clashed with a bang over there heads for a moment before a laugh echoed through the store.
"Jasper!" Bismuth said with a smile.
"Bismuth!" Jasper said back just as excited.
Both giants lowered there weapons and gave each other a soul crushing hug.
"I thought you two died at the school!" Bismuth said with a smile as Jasper helped Pearl to her feet "Sorry there P."
"I'm ok and Jasper was the reason I survived." Pearl said smiling up at her girlfriend.
"Like I could leave you behind." The giant smiled down at her as she wrapped her arm around her shoulders and kissed her head "Wasn't about to survive this hell without my songbird by my side."
Both giants laughed as Pearl's red face. The laugh didn't last long as a growl echoed through the store. All three girls crouched down and listened. They could hear more then one zombie shuffling into the store. As they moaned and groaned Jasper looked to Pearl and Bismuth did the same a bit confused. Pearl listened for a few moments before holding up 6 fingers. Jasper frowned and motioned for Pearl to get behind her and Bismuth as they crept back down the way they came.
That's way too many for them to take out, Pearl thought as she moved down to the last ail in the store. Pearl knew Jasper wanted her to get out the back door. She knew the slender dancer couldn't swing her sword and defend herself in the confined spaces of the ails. Pearl could hold her own in an open area, she had proven that fact at Jasper's when they first arrived by mowing down quite a few of her neighbors who were runners, but in here she wouldn't stand a chance.
As Pearl made it to the end of the ail she herd the zombies walking down against the far wall to her. She peeked around the corner to see Jasper and Bismuth hiding right below the front windows behind the ice-cream machine. They were completely oblivious to the zombies as they shuffled by them and into the store. Pearl was pressed right up against the glass door behind her as one shuffled out of the back room and right by her.
Its like a whole bloody hoard in here! Pearl thought as she lost track of the number of dead bodies out numbering the living. Pearl was frozen in place as she locked eyes with Jasper. They could read the fear in each others faces pretty well but it wasn't enough to stop her lover from acting first.
"Hey!" Jasper yelled jumping up and smashing the window behind her with her bat. "Over here!"
There was a roar as all the zombies in the store turned to Jasper and Bismuth.
"What are you doing?!" There friend yelled as she swung the metal pipe in her hand at a zombie who lunged at her.
"Run Pearl!" Jasper said smashing a skull in. "Will catch up with you!"
Pearl was frozen in place as the zombies swarmed Jasper and Bismuth. They were fighting them off slowly as they back there way out of the store. "Its like a whole swarm out here!" There friend yelled as Pearl lost sight over the body's getting in the way. Pearl was only able to move again when two Runners ran through from the back door and out the front of the store.
Pearl rocked to her feet and ran though the back. She didn't even fully step outside before being tackled to the ground. A Runner had body slammed her down hard enough for her head to hit the cement and to see stars. Pearl fought off the dizziness as a groan filled her ears. She held her fencing sword blade up as the zombie lunged down to bite her. It moved with so much force that it bit down around the blade and killed itself by severing its own jaw off clean through to the neck. Pearl grunted with effort as she twisted the body away from herself, getting sprayed with blood in the process.
Ew ew ew, Pearl thought as she got to her feet and shivered. The one time I need a shower and I can't get one.
Pearl held her head as a sharp pain rocked through it but she bit her cheek and looked around. The few zombies she did see were headed to the boardwalk where her girlfriend and friend were fighting.
I need to find somewhere to hide, Pearl thought, Somewhere she will think of me to go.
Pearl looked around for a few moment before spotting the lighthouse on the cliff in the distance. Perfect, Pearl though as she crouched down and quickly moved against the shop buildings. It took her about an hour between sneaking into every ally and behind cars she could find, mowing down several zombies in the process, before she reached the path up to the lighthouse. She quickly made her way up and paused at its base to glance behind herself. When she was sure she wasn't followed she turned back around.
The house or the lighthouse itself?, Pearl thought. The house had more windows and didn't seem all that safe but it had more then one way out where the lighthouse had only one way out but was going to be very hard to get into and out of if she got swarmed inside. When Pearl turned to the house she herd a groaned and a big bang on the door. Lighthouse it is, Pearl thought turning on her heals and quickly moving to the door, If I get cornered I can always jump from the top and if I'm lucky, die on impact!
Pearl quickly went inside and locked the door behind her. She leaned against it for a second before looking around for something to barricade it with. Something that wasn't too heavy for Jasper to move but not light enough for a zombie to fall into. After spying some boxes near by and make her barricade Pearl looked around. The lighthouse has stood in there quiet town for a long time. As evident but the thick layer of dust on everything it had also been abandoned...or so she thought.
As a high pitched moan filled the air Pearl looked around to see two sets of footprints that weren't hers in the dust. They both walked normal before one turned into the shuffling footprints of the dead. Pearl readied herself as she followed another groan around the center column of brick in the room. Pearl knew if it was just two zombies in here with her then it would be easy for her to take them out and by the size of the prints they appeared to be children.
Slaughtering kids AND zombies, Pearl thought, This is just going swimmingly
Pearl used her dancer like skills to move silently. As she rounded the pillar she saw a girl crouched down facing away from her. By her growling and grunting Pearl knew what had happen. She debated leaving her for a moment before shaking her head. She wont feel it. I can't leave her like this, she thought. Pearl jumped around the corner and raised her hand to swing when a small figure jumped in front of her.
"Don't hurt her!" The figure yelled making Pearl stop. She looked down at the figure and let out a breath.
"Steven!" Pearl said dropping to her knees, forgetting her sword and the zombie, before hugging Steven tight. Steven was her God son, the son of her friend Rose who passed away when they were in eight grade, almost 5 years ago. Pearl couldn't help but cry a bit at knowing he was safe.
"How did you get here?" Pearl asked making Steven take a step back before looking him over "Are you hurt?"
"Me and Connie were out in the school yard for gym when those scary people started running at the school. One jumped on Connie but a teacher was able to get them off before they jumped on her instead." Steven said "Connie and me ran away and thought this was the best place to hide." Steven looked at Connie who was moaning on the floor. "She hasn't said anything for the past bit. I think she is sick Pearl. We need to help her!"
Pearl didn't have the heart to tell him what happened to Connie. She had a big bite mark on her shoulder and leg, which was bent at a bad angle. Pearl knew she was no threat but she didn't have the heart to tell Steven that she couldn't help her, that she was dead.
"Steven..." Pearl said picking her words carefully "Connie... is... sick. We need to leave her here until we find a doctor who can help her. Then we can bring them back here ok?"
Being so young Steven nodded his head in full trust of Pearl's lie. Pearl looked up to see the suns golden rays through the glass up top. "Lets head up and get some sleep."
"Can Connie come too?" Steven asked as Pearl stood up and picked up her sword. She glanced at Steven before looking back to Connie.
"We need to give her... a lot of space so she will get better ok?" Pearl said turning Steven to the far staircase she was happy was narrow and closed off to this floor "Head up top and wait for me right under the light. I'll make her comfortable before I join you."
Steven looked back at Connie and said goodnight to her before turning to the stairs. Pearl didn't move until she herd his steps disappear. She turned back to Connie and frowned. She had met her a few times before when babysitting Steven. She was a smart girl, very very smart. She had trouble making friends and Steven had no problem attaching himself to her side. They are inseparable. Were... Were inseparable. Pearl looked around for something to tie Connie up with it. She wanted nothing more then to end her suffering but she knew that it wasn't an option with Steven here. They had to walk by her in the morning to leave and Steven would want to say goodbye.
Eventually Pearl found a sheet and tied it around Connie's neck and then to the bottom of a table. She found another sheet and after cutting off Connie's good leg, making sure she couldn't move or get out, she laid the sheet over her to make it look like she was sleeping. When Pearl stepped away Connie looked up at her. Her once lively brown eyes help nothing but a glassy distant stair.
"I'm sorry Connie." She whispered.
Pearl turned and made her way up to where Steven was. When she reached the light part of the light house she saw Steven looking out over the town. Pearl said nothing as she shut the trap door behind her and opening her bag to pull out two thin blankets. Jasper had thought they wouldn't need them but Pearl being ever prepared brought them just incase. She set up one over the trap door and sat on it. If anything was going to come up and try to eat them they would be woken up before they had the chance.
"Steven, are you hungry?" Pearl asked pulling out two cans of peaches from her bag. Steven looked back at her and scrunched up his nose. "No thank you."
"This is all I have." Pearl said patting the seat next to her. "Were gonna need all the energy we have to find help tomorrow."
Steven made his way over and sat next to Pearl. As they silently ate there peaches the light in front of them started to buzz. Pearl frowned as she reached forward and unplugged the light before going back to eating. When Steven looked at her funny she swallowed before answering.
"The light will keep us up." She lied.
The truth was when the light house would click on it would draw all the zombies in the area to it. This caused the small town to be over run instead of disserted. Pearl looked down to the cliff and watched as a zombie stumble along before falling off. Pearl rolled her eyes at the dead's stupidity as Steven yawned. She moved the now empty cans off to the side before laying Steven down and covering him with the blanket.
"Are we safe here Pearl?" He asked sleepily as he fought to keep his eyes open.
Pearl smiled at him lovely "Yes. Nothing can get us up here."
Steven smiled as he let sleep over take him. When his breathing evened out Pearl looked over the town. Most of the town was dark except for the school and a few houses. Most of the houses and cars that were on fire had long since gone out or were just smoldering remains scattered around. Unlike the first few days the screams of the dying has died down greatly. It was almost eerie to hear the crickets in the air. It was almost like the world was at peace.
Pearl watched the few lights in town go dark, incasing the sea side town into darkness. The only source of light left being the moon. Pearl curled her legs up and looked up to the moon. She watched the clouds over head for a bit before a flash caught her eye. She brought her eyes down and looked over the darkened town. She frowned as she saw the flash again. Her eyes shifted beyond the town to the fields in the distance. Pearl uncurled her legs and watched for the flash again. She waited for a few minutes, almost ready to give up, when it happened once more.
No way, Pearl thought as she jumped to her feet. She quickly shuffled through her backpack and pulled out a flashlight. She slipped out onto the catwalk around the light and faced the direction she saw the flashes. She pointed the flashlight in the direction of the farms before flashing it once. It was a few tense moment before a flash came back in return. Pearl almost cried out in excitement. She flashed a simple code and waited for a response. When a response came in she cried out yes before covering her mouth.
Pearl almost started to cry as her and her friend Peridot started talking back and forth via mores code. Peridot lived out in the country with there friend Lapis in an old refurbished barn Peridot's parents owned. Peridot wasn't in school with Lapis the day the zombies came and she was certain they were dead.
'Per! I'm so happy your alive!'
'You too! Are you safe? What happened?'
'Zombies and yes. I have my god son with me.'
'Are you for real?'
'Are you guys safe?'
'Yea. We had a few wonder here but they left.'
'Good.'
'Can you get here?'
'I think so but it will take time.'
'Will be here. Be safe.'
'You too.'
Pearl smiled as she coded goodnight to them before going back inside. As she settled in behind Steven her mind wondered. Her thoughts jumped first to Bismuth and her stupidity. Why was she out alone like that? What about Jasper? Was she ok? They hadn't been apart since this all started and it made Pearl anxious. She didn't like being away from her. She gave Pearl a sense of comfort and confidence she didn't feel on her own. She also worried about what her girlfriend was doing. She tended to be reckless in her actions without Pearl's guidance. She was able to find trouble with the flick of her wrist when left to her own devices. If anything she was hoping that both of them were safe and made it out of the swarm in front of the store.
Of course they made it out, Pearl thought as she pulled Steven close and put her face into his hair, finally letting sleep take her tired body. She wouldn't leave you like this.
Jasper
"Jasper, come on!" Bismuth yelled from further down the boardwalk.
"I'm not leaving her behind!" Jasper yelled as she smashed in another zombies skull while kicking another back.
Jasper was getting pissed off. She was pissed that she got loud with Bismuth in the store. She was pissed that she told Pearl to go hide while she tried to play hero. She was pissed that she got herself separated from Pearl. She was more pissed that there was too many zombies for her to fight her way back to her girlfriend.
Jasper growled as Bismuth called her again. She swung the bat hard before throwing one last glance at the store and turning on her heals to run. She caught up to Bismuth and soon both of them were running down the boardwalk. They flew by the fun land arcade and raced around the side of the pizza shop. Jasper took the lead as she ran to her truck and unlocked it. As Bismuth climbed in Jasper was looking around wildly for Pearl.
"She'll be fine." Bismuth said looking out the windows "Remember the first time you saw her fight? She was fierce!"
"I still worry." Jasper said despite a smile hitting her lips. She did remember the day she saw Pearl fight for the first time. She was being picked on by some classmates and had had enough of it. She broke one persons jaw and another's arm before the teachers were able to pull her off them. She did get in a lot of trouble but the family's didn't press charges and she wasn't picked on again. If anything it made Jasper quite impressed and worry a little less about her possibly getting beat up.
"Head to the school." Bismuth said as they both watched the zombies start to come around the arcade. "We need to get back before nightfall."
"Why the school?" Jasper ask as she brought the truck to life and backed out onto the street.
"We managed to close off the third floor. We can get in through a second floor window in the science wing. We blocked off the rest of the hall with the lab tables."
"Yay for school budgets." Jasper said glancing once more around for Pearl before driving off. It made her feel bad for leaving her behind but Bismuth was right. They needed to get into cover before nightfall. It was hard enough to survive during the day. Trying to do it at night would be a death sentence.
As they drove Bismuth had Jasper go the back way to the school. Jasper wasn't really contributing to the conversation as she drove. She was looking around and trying to figure out where she would start looking for Pearl tomorrow. She was smart. She would pick somewhere she could easily get in and out of. Somewhere that Jasper would think to look but she was too racked with worry to really concentrate.
"What're you thinking?" There friend asked as they turned down the street that lead to the school. As they drove Jasper hit zombies with her truck.
"Where Pearl would hide for the night." Jasper said as she swerved and hit a zombie full force "Boom 20 points!"
"I think that was the science teacher." Bismuth said looking in the mirror.
"Good. Bitch failed me last year." Jasper said making both of them laugh.
"Pull up around back." Bismuth said.
Jasper pulled up and drove around to the back of the school. Around back was the bus complex and it was a mess with blood. The buses were turned in a circle like a wall around the building. Bodies were piled around the outside, making a wall so crawlers couldn't get under the buses. Bismuth told Jasper to park her truck along the side of the school, her tailgate touching the brick. As they both climbed out Bismuth whistled up at the window the truck was parked under. After a few moments the window opened and a familiar face popped out.
"Bismuth!" Ruby said with a smile. "We were getting worried- Jasper?"
"Sup runt." Jasper said with a smile as she grabbed her bag from her back seat before climbing into the bed of her truck.
Bismuth followed and handed Ruby her bloodied pipe before climbing up. Jasper put her bag on her back as she looked around the complex. It was a good idea she had to admit. Lots of open space and escape exits incase of a hoard showing up.
"You gonna stand there all night or are ya commin up?"
Jasper looked up to see both girls leaning out the window smiling down at her. She smiled back and passed up her bat before climbing up. Once she was through Ruby shut the window and turned to Jasper. The smaller girl had a big dopey smile on her face as she hugged the giants leg. Jasper in return picked her up and put her on her shoulder. She followed Bismuth out of the classroom and up the staircase across the hall.
Ruby was Garnet's younger sister. If Ruby was here that means Garnet was too. She would never leave her to fight this whole end of the world thing by herself. To add to it if Ruby was here so was her best friend Sapphire. They were never far from each other. Like three sides of a triangle these three were never apart for long.
True to her thoughts as soon as Jasper walked through the doorway to the third floor a small pair of arms wrapped around her leg.
"Jasper!" Sapphire said looking up at her with a smile. "Your ok!"
"Course I am." Jasper said as she put Ruby down next to her friend as Garnet walked over "You think a few zombies could take me out?"
"Not without your other half." Garnet said coming over and ushering the girls away. When they disappeared into a class room Garnet turned back to her friend "Where's Pearl? I know you both made it out of here."
"We.. got separated." Jasper said a bit embraced "We ran into Bismuth at the corner store and got too loud. I almost got Pearl killed! I was able to get them all to focused on me but we couldn't get back in side."
Garnet put her hand on Jasper's shoulder and the giant frowned at her expression "She's alive."
"Jasper."
"She made. It. Out." Jasper said through a clenched jaw. "I'm going out tomorrow to find her. With or without-"
"Alright." Garnet said cutting Jasper off. "For now however lets get you checked out and warmer cloths. You look like hell."
"Feel like hell." Jasper said rolling her shoulders as Garnet turned and gestured for her to follow "Try sleeping in a truck for three nights."
"How did you know that this all happened?" Garnet asked.
"Was out on the track." Jasper said gesturing down at herself. "Saw the coach get taken down and several runners coming across the field. After that my first thought was to get my girl and run. Good thing I did, bunch of them burst through the gym doors as I dragged Pearl out."
"Where did you go?"
"My place. Went for my sister but she wasn't there. We were going to leave but got trapped in the garage for two days before they figured out we were in there. After that we drove around to secluded areas and slept in the truck in shifts. We were running low on food and thats how we ran into this big hunk of meat." Jasper said reaching over and hitting Bismyth in the shoulder. "What about you fusion? How'd y'all end up here?"
Garnet shrugged as they turned into a classroom that was a biology room turned into a makeshift medical bay. "I was on my way to the college for my Police training class. I lucked out that day." Garnet said tapping the gun on her hip after slightly moving her jacket. "Sit on the bed."
Jasper sat on the 'bed' which in all honestly was just a lab table covered with a blanket and pillow.
"When I pulled up to the college I could already see the chaos. I simply turned around and gunned it over to the middle school to get my sister and Sapphire. I didn't have time to tell them what was happening after the girls were sent up. All hell broke loose and I just got them to the car and drove off. We drove around for a day before coming back here." Garnet turned and leaned on the counter as a slender figure came over to them. "After coming back I found the lot here. After clearing out some of the school we barricaded ourselves up here, set up the buses out back, and have been held up ever since."
"Jasper!" A breathy voice and slender arms wrapped around the giants neck.
Jasper smiled and hugged the slender girl. "Nice to see you too there blueberry."
Pearl's twin sister Blue laughed as she gave Jasper a peck on the cheek.
"Where's Pearl?" The slender girl said looking around. Pearl's sister was considered legally blind without her glasses but even with her burry vision she could see her sister wasn't there.
"We got separated." Jasper said not able to look her in the eye. Before Blue could speak Jasper added to her words "I'm going out and brining her back tomorrow so don't worry. Pearl's the reason I'm still around so she will find somewhere safe for the night."
She wanted to add 'don't worry' to the end of her statement but she couldn't. She was filled with worry. She knew Pearl could handle herself but she had the ability to get absorbed in whatever she was doing and become oblivious to her surroundings. It's happened on more then one occasion, usually ending up with Jasper scarring her and her getting mad.
Blue made Jasper raise her arms as she gave her body a once over, putting a Band-Aid on her nose where she had a cut, before giving her a clean bill of health. After that Garnet show her around. The rooms closest to the staircase where used as sleep rooms. Then there was there med bay, weapons fix and holding room, makeshift lunchroom, and quarantine. When Jasper pointed it out Garnet frowned.
"We've had to put down over 13 people." Garnet said looking at the door before adjusting her police shades. "Once you get bit you have exactly 24 hours before you start to get sick and start to turn. It takes three days to fully die. We put them out when they start to get sick so they can't hurt anyone."
"How many of you are left?" Jasper asked as she followed them all to the far room they had set up to sleep in.
"Just us." Garnet said shutting the door behind them.
As they all got settled in Jasper counted that there was 14 makeshift beds set up and only the 6 of them in here. She shuttered at the thought of just how many people had to be put down before she got here. As she watched the sun set through the blinds Blue came up and sat next to her. Jasper opened her arm and Blue settled in right against her side but the bigger girl didn't mind. Blue has always been a clingy person, her loosing her sight slowly just amplified it. She was unsure of her doing it when Pearl and her first started dating but her girlfriend said it was normal. After a while Jasper paid no mind to it.
Jasper must of nodded off for only a few minutes but when she woke up she saw that Garnet wasn't with them. After blinking the sleep from her eyes she slowly detangled Blue's arms from around her own. She silently stood up and made her way out of the room, grabbing her bat just incase. Once out in the dark hallway she spied Garnet at the far end. As she came to her friends side she could see her looking out the window. Turning her gaze the same way she opened her mouth to speak but Garnet asked her unspoken question.
"The lighthouse is dark." Garnet said.
"Maby the powers out?" Jasper said looking at the dark tower in the distance.
"Maby not." Garnet said as they watched a flash from the top.
Jasper blinked and was about to ask if Garnet had seen the flash too when it suddenly happened again. Then again. Jasper watched as the flashing came in short bursts before going dark for a bit then flashing again. The giant frowned as she watched the flashing. There was no pattern to it and it definitely wasn't the lighthouse itself.
"What is it?" Jasper asked.
"Morse code." Garnet said with a smile in her voice. "I owe you an apology."
"What for?" Jasper said looking down at her.
"Looks like your songbird managed to find a place to hide and her God son."
"Pearl." Jasper breathed out looking to the lighthouse again. As the flashing stopped her hand tightened around her bat. Every fiber of her being was screaming at her to go and bring Pearl back now. Garnet sensed this and placed a hand on her arm. "She is safe for the night and we know where she is. It will make it easier to get to her in the morning when we can see."
Jasper couldn't help but stair at the darkened light house a bit longer before turning and following Garnet back to the others. As Jasper settled back in next to Blue. She watched Garnet hook a chair onto the door handle before going and laying down. Ruby and Sapphire were tangled together and when Garnet joined them they turned and clung to her. Bismuth was snoring away next to some cabinets while Blue reclaimed Jasper's arm silently. Jasper couldn't help but smile as she started to feel sleep take her. Pearl was safe and she knew where she was. Just hold on Pearl, Jasper thought as she drifted off, I'm coming to get you.
Note 2: I never really seen a zombie apocalypse for the Steven Universe AU so here we go! I always wondered what they would all do in this situation if they were human. I don't know where this story is going but it will be fun!